Can capper



R. STROPPEL CAN GAPPER March 5, 1929.

Filed June 25. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet a Nfoznm March 5, 1929. R STROPPEL, 1,704,227

GAN CAPPER Filed June 25, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 affonda Cil Patented Mar. 5, 1929. y

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

RUDOLF STROPPEL, OF ACEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA.; GEORGE STBOZPPEL ADMINISTRATOR OI SAID RUDOLF STBOPPEL, DECEASED.

CAN' GAPPEB.

Application med June 25, 1925. Serial No. 39,554.

This invention relates to can capping machines in which the method of applying the cap corresponds to that shown and described in Letters Patent No. 1,435,415, issued to N emecek and Stroppel November 14, 1922, and Patent N o. 11,502,869, issued to the same inventors July 29, 1924, to which referencev may be had. The object of this invention is to improve capping machines applying the cap in a similar manner so as to secure certain advantageous results in both manufacture and use, as will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying` drawings, forming a part of this specification, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation showing the capping parts as seen in looking toward the right past the section line 2,-2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the manner of applying the cap, and details of a device for drag* ging the rear edge of thel cap flange over the top of the can. Fig. 4 is a plan view of Ithe machine. Fig. 5 is a cross section of the same at the line 2 2, looking toward the left. Fig. G is a fragmentary plan view, showing mechanism for detaining the row of advanced cans, and for releasing them one at a time.

In the drawing, the numeral 5 denotes a table mounted on supporting legs 6, which at their lower ends are provided with feet 7 adjustable by their Shanks 8 in the main legs, byA means of set-screws 9. The ma chine may thus be raised or depressed bodily so as to level up with other machinery with which it. may be connected in the factory where used. In a gap 5 at cach end of the table is mounted a roller 10, each carrying a conveyor belt. The belt 11 at the right delivers the uncapped cans A to the machine, and the belt 12 at the left carries them away when capped. The rollers are driven concurrently by connecting sprockets and chain y13, 14, and by a sprocket 15 and chain 16 connecting with a motordriven sprocket 17, the motor 18 and connected driving apparatus 19 being hung by a hanger 20 from the under side of the table.

The train of cans, to which the bottoms have been applied in the same manner b another machine of the same type, as a vanced from the lling machine (not shown) to the capper, are guided in proper alinement by laterally disposed rails 21, which may be adjusted laterally to suit different sizes of cans by slotted supports 21a and fastening screws 21". The cans are delivered one at a time as required by the capping apparatus to be described presently. For this purpose the machine is provided with a detent 22 of the star-wheel type, engaging the forward can of the train by one of its fiuted sides, and thus holding the whole train slidably on the conveyor belt until released. The star-wheel is held in iis detaining position by a latch-lever 23 drawn tc engaging position by a spring 24. It is disengaged by the mechanism that carries the can forward during the capping operation, in a manner .to be described presently.

Supported by posts 25 a chute 26 for can covers B is mounted over the can conveyor, and preferably parallel therewith. The

chute is a simple, flat-bottomed trough withV upstanding sides, horizont-a1 main but near its forward end pitched downwardly, as shown. Over the horizontal portion a belt 27 is carried by terminal drums or pul leys 28 mounted in bearings 29 and 30 attached to the sides of the chute. Both pairs of bearings are adjustable vertically, and one pair is slotted at 30a and provided with adjusting screws 30b for the proper stretching of the belt. The lower member of the belt runs at the depth of the cover flanges above the bottom of the chute, and by frictional contact with the tops of the covers x slides them forward in the chute. Intermediate rollers 31 are mounted by brackets 32 adjustably at the sides of the chute, and are adapted to press down on the upper side of this lower member of the belt, and thus provide the necessary frictional contact throughout the whole length of the belt. The belt is driven by a small electric motor 33 mounted on a bridge 34:, and connecting by a belt 35 with a pulley 36 attached to the shaft carrying the pulley 28 at the forward part of the chute. Over the inclined portion of the chute is mounted a wire cage 37 to prevent the covers from springing oriying out of place as pressed forward by the train of them following. At the end of the incline the leading cover is caught and detained by a pair of lingers 38 held to such detaining position bysprings 39. As shown in Fig.. l this cover ynow lies at an incline, and at such a level that a can slid forward in line with it will enter the cover, catch this depressed part of the flange, and drag it along as it moves forward. In this forward movement the cover passes under a pressure plate 40 which forces the entire cover down over the top of the can. The plate is attached to a bridge-bar 41 mounted on posts 42 set adjustably in bases 43, by means of set-screws 44. A similar adjustment is provided for the chute-supporting posts 25, and all are supposed to be movable up or down through the table top, or its extensions, as indicated by the chute-post at the right in Fig. l. By this means the operative height of the machine is adapted to cans of varying depths.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3 it will be seen that the detent fingers above referred to are attached to supporting plates fixed to the ends of a pair of parallel guide-rails 45 mounted near each side of the chute, and serving as side-guides for the covers. These rails are provided with lateral studs 45, which pass through bosses 46 at the sides of the chute, and are held in place by setscrews as shown. By this lateral adjustment of the guide-rails covers of various sizes may be accurately centered and guided so as to engage the under-moving can of a corresponding size.

The cans are caught and fed forward singly by flanking conveyors, as best shown in Figs. l and 4. These conveyors comprise sprocket chains 47 carried by sprockets 48 and 49 a little above the top of the table,

and. flights 50 pivotally connecting with the chains. The vertical shafts of the forward pair of sprockets are driven by bevel gears 5l connecting operatively with the front drum-shaft. Each flight is composed of a lower and upper member adjustable with respect to each other, by means of a connecting post 52 and set-screw 52, The lower flight is provided with angular wings straddling the chain. These wings serve to hold the curved wings of the flights in position to partially embrace the can, as shown at the left in Fig. 4, and thus force the can forwardly (to the left) in the operation of the machine. During the positive action of the flights they are held to this position by the contact of the angular flanges adjacent to the chains with adjacent guide-bars 54 secured to the bed of the machine. An overlapping top-plate 54- serves to hold the flights to a true Vertical position and prevent their tipping. The conveyors need no lateral adjustment for any size of can within the range of the machine, and the operative posit-ion of the flights is such that the can is always accurately centered, and can be depended upon to register exactly with the cover as it moves forwardly. To prevent any possibility of deflection, however, the upper part of the can is made to pass between a pair of guides 55, laterally adjustable by slots and screws 55a (Fig. 2), and attached to the forward pair of posts 25. These guides may serve, as indicated in said figure to compress the upper part of the can more or less, and thus insure its proper entrance inside the cover, even though the latter, by warping, may be distorted and narrowed in this direct-ion.

As the can and cover pass under the pressure-plate in the final act of capping the sides of the cover are pressed closely against the can by lateral fingers 56. These have stems 5G for side adjustment in hangers 57 attached pivotally to the cross-bar 4l, and are drawn inwardly by a tension spring 58. rlhis forces the sides of the cover flange to hug the can, and insures the entrance of the sides of the can within the sides of the cover flange. The entrance of the rearmost portion of the can-top into the cover is insured by the use of a shoe 59 hinged at 59h, and provided with a curved, upturned lip 59a. This lip is thrown up inside the cover as the can passes under the shoe, and in the forward movement of the can and cover toward the pressure-plate the curved lip serves to drag the rearmost portion of the cover flange over the corresponding portion of the can top. No specific claim is made to various of these devices, as they are found, in somewhat different form, in one or both of the patents above referred to.

In Fig. 6 is shown the device for tripping the can detent. It will be seen that the star-wheel latch-lever has a tail 23, which is'caught at the proper time by the curved wing of the conveyor flight, and pushed to releasing position, as shown. The flight is carried to position for engagement with the trip-lever by a cam 60 set below the sprocket wheel of the conveyor, and adapted lo force the flight to tripping position by the engagement of its outer face with the angled flange of the flight.

Thus constructed, the machine possesses a number of practical advantages over the type of machine described yin the patents referred to. The movement of the cans and covers is in a straight line through the machine and beyond. By reason of this it is found to be easier to place the parts, can and cover, with perfect accuracy, so Ithat the covers slip over the cans without missing or mutilation. As above noted no lateralV adjustment of the can conveyors Iis necessary, as the flights converging backwardly and inwardly hold them accurately to a central line, regardless of the size of the cans. This is a matter of great convenience both to the manufacturer and the user of the machine. The machine, as indicated, is universally adjustable to varying sizes and heights of liti dll

meaaav cans, thus allowing for a standardization of the machine by the manufacturer, and giv ing it a wide range of usefulness to the user. nllt is to be noted also that the Aadjustments are all simple and easily made, even the lateral shifts, as the parts are duplicates, rights and lefts, and have the same movements on both sides. In practice it is found that an expert operator of one of the machines can maire all the changes from one extreme size of can to the opposite in three minutes.

Having thus described my invention, .l claim:

l. ln a can capper, a table, a pair of oppositely disposed parallel conveyors thereon provided with lateral flights which in canadvancing position flare forwardly and converge rearwardly to admit the largest can and hold the smallest can admissible between the conveyors and advance them along a central line, an overhead cap-chute adapted to deliver covers at an incline and in position to be intercepted by the can, and a pres .sure-plate to close the cover down over the top of the can as the same moves forward.

EZ. ln a can-capper, a table, a pair of parallel, oppositely disposed and concurrently moving conveyors thereon provided with lateral flights converging rearwardly to near a central line between the conveyors, to hold and guide along such central line any can admissible between the conveyors, means for imparting continuous movement to the conveyors and for delivering cans singly thereto, an overhead cap-chute adapted to de liver covers inclined downwardly and forwardly in the path of the cans, and an overhead pressure-plate forward of the point of interception of the can with the cover, to force the cover on the can as they move forwardly.,

8. ln a can-capper, a table, a pair of oppositely disposed, concurrently moving conveyors thereon, provided with vertically adjustable, can-engaging flights, a vertically adjustable cap-chute adapted to deliver covers to the can-intercepting point, and inclined downwardl and forwardly, and a vertically adjnsta le pressure-plate in the path of the can and cover, to press the cover down over the top of the can.

4. ln a can-capper, a pair of oppositely disposed, concurrently-moving conveyors, provid-ed with can-engaging flights, a capchute adapted to deliver covers at a downwardly and forwardly inclined angle in the path of the can, and a pair of laterally adjus/table guides for the covers, whereby covers varying in size may be aligned accurately with corresponding cans.

5. ln a can-capper, a air of oppositely disposed conveyors provi ed with vertically adjustable, can-engaging flights, a vertically adjustable cap-chute adapted to deliver covers in the path of the top of the can and at a downwardly and forwardly inclined angle, adjustable lateral guides for the covers, and means for advancing a train of covers in the chute, and advancing the intercepting cans and covers.

6. ln a can-capper, a can-conveyor adapted to advance cans on end, and provided with vertically adjustable can-engaging flights, a vertically adjustable cover chute provided with a laterally adjustable cover guide, and adapted to deliver covers at a downward and forward incline to be intercepted by the cans, and a vertically adjustable pressure-plate to force the cover on the can as can and cover advance.

'l'. ln a can-capper having can-advancing mechanism, a cover-chute mainly horizontal, and terminating in a downward incline to position the cover so as to intercept the advancing can, a moving belt in frictional contact with the tops of the covers, and a cage over the inclined portion of the chute to prevent their displacement.

8. In a can-capper having can-advancing mechanism, an overhead cover chute mainly horizontal and terminating in a downward incline to bring the covers to caneinte-rcepting position, a moving belt in frictional contact with the tops of the covers, and vertically adjustable rollers disposed above the cover-contacting portion of the belt, whereby the friction of the belt may be controlled.

In testimony whereof I aliX my signature.

RUDOLF STROPPEL. 

